


The Friend Zone

by Writers_Muse



Series: One-Shots (And Two-Shots) ^_^ [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Is Suffering, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Aged Up, Alternate Universe - No Miraculous, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, F/M, Friendship/Love, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Idiots in Love, Mari thinks Adrien is gay, Oblivious Adrien Agreste, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir and Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng, alternate universe - best friends, love square shenanigans, they're both idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-11-15 17:19:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18077678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writers_Muse/pseuds/Writers_Muse
Summary: Marinette and Adrien have been best friends since they met (almost).  Now they're adults, and they've been in love with each other for 7 years, but neither knows it, and Marinette's pretty sure Adrien's not interested in girls, so she sets him up with a man instead.Non-magic AUBest Friends AUYoung Adults AU





	The Friend Zone

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, Marinette and Adrien too stupid to notice the other is in love with them, too. And Marinette overcompensates by trying to make her best friend happy.
> 
> Thanks again, EpicLilKitty for being my beta boo. ^_^

When Marinette Dupain-Cheng first met Adrien Agreste, they had a... misunderstanding of sorts.

Suffice it to say, the blond boy did _not_ make the best first impression, but he was persistent and optimistic, and he wedged his way into the reluctant girl’s good graces with a well-timed explanation and gesture of apology.

She would never admit it, but she developed a pretty severe crush on her classmate in that moment, lost in the endless emerald of his eyes, the golden sheen of his perfect hair, the sincere vulnerability she saw reflected in his gaze.

Her heart broke, then fell, then came back together into a besotted mess.

As for Adrien, the way she looked back at him as he gave her his most genuine expression of regret and hope was enough to bring him to his knees (though it did not).  The intense blue of her irises struck him like the clap of thunder that just echoed across the grey sky. She was too larger than life, too incredible, too beautiful for him to ever hope to earn the right to stand by her side as her equal, and he knew then that there would never be another person for him.

They quickly became fast friends after that, and before long they were nigh inseparable.  Everywhere they went, they went together. Everything they did, they did together. They went to parks, and museums, and fashion shows, and Adrien took special pleasure in narrating all the behind the curtain details for his best friend, watching her eyes shine with wonder and admiration.  They ate ice cream and watched movies and anime, curled up on her loft bed late at night after Adrien snuck out of his house, having pretended to fall asleep early. Their favorite was an animated show about superheroes called _Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir_.  Marinette identified with the brave scarlet hero, and Chat Noir was especially appealing to Adrien with his bold personality and the freedom to be whoever he wanted.  The blond boy spend entire conversations gushing over the character as Marinette listened patiently, responding enthusiastically. When Marinette got asked out on her first date, Adrien was there to cheer by her side (though it secretly killed him).  And when Adrien’s father was especially harsh and restrictive, Marinette held him in an embrace for as long as he needed, croissants and macarons at the ready when he was all cried out.

Adrien was in love with her, and she was in love with him, but neither was willing to disturb the balance of their relationship, and over time, Adrien found himself frequently rejecting the endless string of girls who professed their love to the model, despite never having spoken to him before in their lives, and holding out hope that someday he might win over his lady’s heart.

At first, Marinette just figured he had high standards, and was infinitely glad she never confessed her feelings.  But as the years passed, the noirette began to wonder if Adrien simply didn’t like girls at all.

The more she thought about it, the more she became convinced Adrien had to be gay.  It sounded stereotypical, but he knew a lot about fashion, he was better at doing her hair and makeup than she was, he was always distinctly enamored with male characters in films and television series, and he had never gone on, much less enjoyed, a date with a girl that wasn’t arranged by his father for publicity or business purposes.

It hurt a little, knowing she somehow managed to stand even less of a chance of gaining Adrien’s love than before, but she accepted it and decided that she couldn’t let it change the way she treated her best friend.  He was, after all, the most important person in her life, and she wasn’t going to let something like her personal feelings get in the way of that. So he liked men. She could live with not being the one to make him happy in that way as long as he was happy at all.  And the more she thought about that, the more determined she became to be the conduit to his happiness. She had dated Luka in high school for a while, and they ended their relationship on good terms (mostly because he confessed he could tell she was in love with Adrien, not him), and from what she remembered, Adrien and Luka got along _really_ well.  Looking back, she was pretty sure Adrien was always a little bit in awe of Luka, and she knew Luka was at least bisexual, so she wondered if he might be open to going on a date with his ex’s best friend.

Adrien, on the other hand, couldn’t find the courage to confess the depth of his feelings, too worried that it would result in the end of their friendship.  Instead, he kept his feelings inside, went only on the dates he was required to, and decided that, if he couldn’t have his lady, then he would spend his life romantically alone.  As long as he got to stay by Marinette’s side, he would be happy. It never occurred to him that his lack of romantic interest in anyone would be deemed suspicious, especially with how common knowledge it seemed to be (among everyone except Marinette, of course) that he was in love with his best friend.  Alya and Nino and all their other friends from school used to tease him endlessly any chance they got.

Being friends had its perks, though.  He got to spend all his free time with her, and she was more comfortable with him than anyone else, even Alya.

Which, in reality, was somewhat of a blessing _and_ a curse.

Because Marinette was sometimes just a little _too_ comfortable.  As they got older and she became much more comfortable with her body, she began to openly change in front of him, tossing discarded shirts and pants and dresses in his direction, rambling on about whatever she was talking about without the slightest hesitation.  Sometimes she would be down to her bra and underwear, then get this adorable look on her face as though she forgot what she was looking for, and stand in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, gaze thoughtful, tongue sticking out of her mouth.

Adrien was unprepared for the first time this happened.  He watched, unable to look away as Marinette stood practically naked in the middle of her room, abs and other softer bits on full display, his jaw dropping almost to the floor.  Ten seconds in, and he started blathering an excuse, dropping out of the trapdoor while she absentmindedly replied a farewell, trying his best to disguise the growing problem in his pants as he fled the premises.

Just when he started getting used to Marinette randomly stripping in front of him (because, really, he would never truly get used to it), she stepped her unintentional teasing up a notch.

Adrien was seated on her chaise, half-listening to her talk about a plan that she was making for the weekend when her first item of clothing- a clingy top- flew toward him.  Reflexively, he caught it, managing to temper the warmth rising up to his cheeks. But then she started to peel her incredibly fitted pants down her lithe legs, her backside practically taunting him as he did his best to avert his gaze.  Once she had struggled out of the legs, she pulled a few items from her dresser drawers and walked over toward the man on her couch, eyeing them thoughtfully. She was within reaching distance when she stopped, two bra and underwear sets dangling from her hands, then thrust them into Adrien’s face.

He was no longer able to stop the blush.

Or prevent the stirring of a certain body part south of the border.

Both were lacy, of different designs and color schemes, and both were _very_ tiny.  The conflicted man gulped, no longer hearing what the girl in front of him was saying.

“So, what do you think?” he finally caught, flushing deeper red once he realized he had missed her entire explanation.

“Uhh, the black and green ones, I guess,” he responded improvisationally, to which she scrunched her nose thoughtfully (and oh so adorably), holding up the pair he picked and likely mulling over their merits.

Then, to his dismay, he saw her gaze drift down to her chest as though imagining them on, tossing the red and black pair off to the side and holding up the very ones Adrien was trying incredibly hard not to picture on her body,  against herself.

Still looking down, holding the lacy cups against her breasts, she innocently asked, “Yea?  You think they’ll look good?”

There had to be steam coming out of Adrien’s ears, he was sure of it.  With all the control he possessed, he squeaked out an affirmative and hastily made an excuse to leave before turning toward the trapdoor, not even bothering to wait for a response.  To his alarm, however, Marinette called out to him.

“Wait!  Before you go, Adrien, what do you think about this weekend?  Would you be interested?”

The look on her face was so hopeful, he couldn’t help but say yes despite not knowing exactly what he just agreed to.  But the breathtaking smile that took over her face at his reply was completely worth it. His racing heart skipped a beat, and he muttered one last goodbye before disappearing down the stairs.

He hadn’t gotten far from the bakery when his phone began to vibrate in his pocket.

“Yea?” he answered.

“Hey!  Mec. So, settle this argument for me,” Nino’s voice returned, and Adrien’s hackles raised.  He had made the mistake of getting in between Nino and Alya before (unwittingly), and he barely survived- he wasn’t about to do it again.

“I don’t know, man, last ti-”

“Forget last time,” his _other_ best friend cut him off.  “That was something else completely.  Just listen to me for a sec. So, Alya and I were talking-” _You mean fighting_ , the blond inserted mentally, “-and _Alya_ was sure you had never been on a real date, and _I_ was sure you had at least _asked_ a girl out, so- _quiet, woman, I’m getting there_ ,” he suddenly whispered away from the phone, causing Adrien to pull it away from his ear in mild confusion for a second.  “So, _anyway_ ,” the man continued, “we were hoping you would settle that for us.”

Adrien hesitated for a moment, slightly torn.  He didn’t want to take the side against his best (male) friend, but he wasn’t going to lie, and he sure as hell was terrified of ever going against Alya again.

“Well, I’ve never been on a date that I actually wanted to go on, so, sorry, buddy,” the blond replied, grimacing.  He heard a distinct _Ha!_ in the background, followed by mumbling.

“ _Yea, yea, whatever_.  Ok, SO, that brings us to the next point, then.”  Those words sounded very foreboding, and Adrien suddenly felt unprepared for whatever his well-intending friends were about to say.  He steeled himself. “Alya and I were thinking that we could put in a good word for you with a certain black-haired beauty, and you should ask her out on a date.  She’ll _totally_ say yes.”

Adrien’s face colored, and he was grateful neither of his friends could see him right then.

“Nino, I don’t know.  That’s- I don’t think that’s a good idea.  Mari and I have been friends for a _really_ long time-”

“No shit.”

“-hey!  We’ve been friends for a _really long time_ , and I just don’t want to mess up my relationship with the most important person in the world to me.”

“Mec!” Nino’s affected voice sounded in his ear.  “I’m _hurt_.  I thought we had something special!  I mean, I’d even choose you over _Alya_.”  Just for good measure, he sniffed as well, and Adrien heard said girl snicker in the background.  They both knew that wasn’t true. She spoke faintly.

“You keep telling yourself that, Bambi.”

Adrien suppressed a snort as Nino scoffed.

“ _We’ll see where you sleep tonight, woman_ ,” he murmured lowly.

Again, his girlfriend could be heard, responding:

“I could say the same about you.”

Then Nino gave up the act, and the tone of his voice took on a whine as he said, “ _No, babe, I’m sorry, I was just joking. I love you, my light, my world, my everything.  Forget Adrien. He means nothing to me_.”

It was the blond man’s turn to chortle in disbelief.

“Thanks, man.  I’ll remember that.  But, as much as I love being party to your weird flirting, I think I’m gonna go.”

“No, wait!  Adrien, you haven’t given us a real answer yet.  Look, bro, it’s been _seven years_.  You should talk to Marinette, and we’ll talk to Marinette, and then I bet we’re all gonna laugh at the irony of this whole situation.”

That gave Adrien some pause.

“What do you mean irony?” he asked, voice both curious and afraid of the answer.

“Nino!” the redhead yelled.

“ _Ouch_!  I’m sorry!  It slipped out!”

“Nino,” Adrien inserted, suddenly feeling very serious, “what do you mean by irony?”

He could practically _see_ his friend hesitating, most likely getting warning looks from his girlfriend.

“Nothing,” he finally said, his voice clearly reluctant, “it’s just, we’ve always kind of thought that you and Mari had a thing for each other, but were both too afraid to actually say anything about it.”

“What?!  Nino, that’s ridiculous.  Marinette doesn’t see me that way, or she wouldn’t keep taking her clothes off in front of me.”

“ _What?!_ ” both Nino and Alya shouted simultaneously.

“What the hell, mec?” the music enthusiast added.

Adrien’s eyes closed in regret.  He didn’t mean to say that. _Shit_ , he didn’t mean to say that.

“Nothing, it’s just- this thing Marinette does.  Sometimes we’ll be hanging out in her room, talking, and she just starts changing in front of me, stripping down to her underwear, and I don’t know what to do about it.  I don’t want to tell her to stop, because she’s obviously just that comfortable with me, and I don’t want to ruin that, but holy shit, Nino, seeing her like that _does things_ to me, you don’t even know-”

“Adrien, let me stop you right there.  Marinette is undressing in front of you, and you haven’t made a move?”

“Of course not!  Nino, I would never take advantage of her like that!”

“ _Dude_ , you’re _killing_ me!”

“Ugh, _Nino_ , it’s just, if she’s doing that, then I think that’s a clear sign that she definitely _doesn’t_ think of me that way.”

“Or she’s practically hitting you over the head with her half-naked hints, and you’re too oblivious to realize it!   _Ow_!”

Adrien laughed as he heard a smack, most likely over Nino’s head.

“Marinette would never do that,” he countered.  “Now, can we move on from talking about my pathetic love life?”

Nino sighed.

“And don’t go mentioning any of this to Marinette, please, I don’t want her thinking I ran to you to complain about it and then it becomes this big deal.”

“It is a big deal!”

“Nino, just drop it!  Ok? Nothing more is ever going to come of this relationship we have, and that’s ok!  I just, I’m just happy to have her in my life, you know?”

His friend sighed again, more resignedly.

“Adrien, I really think there’s a logical explanation for all this, but we won’t bring it up if it makes you uncomfortable.  But still, man, just- talk to Mari. I think the solution to all this is so much simpler than you think.”

This time Adrien sighed.

“I’ll think about it, if it makes you happy, ok?”

“That’s all I ask, mec.”

“All right, man.  I gotta go though, so I’ll talk to you later, ok?”

“All right, bro.  Later.”

Adrien pulled the phone away from his ear and ended the call, sucking in a deep breath and exhaling into the open air.

Nino’s words stuck with him and gave him hope.  Was it really possible that Marinette could have feelings for him, and was trying to push him to make a move?  He wanted to believe that, but he couldn’t. If Marinette was in love with him, wouldn’t she just say it? It wasn’t like he hadn’t given her plenty of chances.  Over the years, they had several near-misses, moments when they ended up incredibly close, and it just took a slight push from one or the other to turn that proximity into a kiss.  The thing was, neither of them ever did, and if that wasn’t a sign she wasn’t interested, he didn’t know what was.

Meanwhile, Marinette was having a phone call of her own back in her room.  Adrien had agreed to a date with Luka, even though she thought he might be hesitant, considering the man was her ex, and it only caused her a little bit of pain (which she pushed down) as she tapped on Luka’s contact icon in her phone.  Truly, she was excited. She wanted Adrien to be happy, especially after she had seen the difficult home life he suffered throughout his entire childhood (and even now somewhat in his young adulthood), and she would do anything to make that happen.

Still, though, she couldn’t help the slight heartache she was suffering knowing that he would never be hers.

So, when Luka answered, she greeted him with overly compensating enthusiasm.

“HI!”

“Woah, Mari,” the blue-haired man chuckled.  “Hey. It’s good to hear from you again. I’ve missed you, ma minou.”

Marinette blushed at the smoothness of his voice.  He always did have some unexplainable power over her.  She didn’t know if it was his naturally laid-back attitude, or the fact that once upon a time he was completely in love with her but gave her up because she loved someone else, or the fact that he was practically dripping with sex appeal, but honestly, it was probably all of the above.  Not to mention the fact that he had taken to calling her his kitten when they were together and never stopped.

And after all these years, he still managed to make her stutter.

“H- hey, L- Luka.  I’ve m- missed you t- too.”

There was that low laugh again.

“You seem really tense, Ma- Ma- Marinette.”  She blushed at the old joke. “What’s on your mind?”

Taking a deep breath for composure, she replied.

“I asked Adrien about that thing I told you about, and he- he said yes.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, and for a second she wondered if she said or did something wrong.  Maybe Luka wasn’t really interested and just agreed because she asked?

“Oh,” he finally responded.  “That’s- I didn’t think that would actually happen.”

“Oh,” she echoed.  “That’s- I’m sorry, did you not want to go through with this?  I shouldn’t have pressured you, I just-”

“No, Marinette, it’s ok.  Relax. Take a deep breath, minou.”

Marinette did as he said, inhaling again to calm herself and releasing to expel her anxiety.

“Better?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Ok, so, I just didn’t realize that Adrien would say yes, so I’m a little surprised, but that doesn’t mean I am opposed to the idea.  I did agree, after all.”

“So, you didn’t just agree because I asked you?”

The musician’s deep voice vibrated pleasantly in amusement.

“As much as I love you, ma minou, no, I did not.”

Marinette exhaled in relief, surprised to find she had been holding her breath.

“Oh.  That’s good.  I’m glad. You had me worried for a second there.”

“You never have to worry about me, love.  I’d never lie to you.”

The words warmed her heart, and briefly she wondered what might have been if she wasn’t hopelessly in love with someone else when she was with Luka.  He could have made her really happy, but because of her feelings for Adrien, that was never going to happen.

She didn’t fail to see the irony, either, that she was setting up the love of her life with the other potential love of her life.

“Good.  Ok, so, I’ll talk to Adrien and let you know a time and place?  Or would you rather decide and I can tell him?”

Luka chortled a little, and Marinette’s brow furrowed in confusion.  Did she say something funny?

“I’ll let you be the one to decide, and to tell him.  Something tells me it will be easier for him hearing it from you.”

She continued to frown slightly, not entirely sure what his words were implying, but agreeing nonetheless.

“O...k.  I’ll send you a message when I figure it out.”

“All right.  I’ll be waiting, ma minou.  Je t’aime.”

“Je t’aime,” she replied, then ended the call.  But his tone toward the end stayed with her. It was as though he was aware of something she wasn’t, and it bothered her that she just couldn’t figure out what that was.

Forcing the idea out of her thoughts, she turned toward her computer.

She had a romantic date to plan.

* * *

In the middle of her plotting, her phone rang unexpectedly.  Absentmindedly, she answered.

“Hello?”

“Girl!  We need to have a conversation, _now_.”

The tone of Alya’s voice caused her skin to prickle.  What happened?

“O...k.  Why? Did something happen?”

“Girl, just how long do you plan to keep stringing Adrien Agreste along?”

“What?!  I’m not stringing Adrien along.  Where the hell did you get a ridiculous idea like that?”

“Uh, from the fact that you have been in love with him for years but have never had the guts to tell him, and from the fact that I know you’ve been giving him previews of your naughty bits without concern for his feelings.”

Marinette’s face colored.  That sounded way worse than it really was.

“What?  That’s ridiculous.  I’m not teasing Adrien.  Adrien doesn’t see me that way.  He doesn’t even like girls.”

There was a moment of silence before an ear-splitting shriek rang over the line.

“ _WHAT?!_ ”  In the background, she could hear a male voice laughing uncontrollably, then some exclamations of _Ow!_ that coincided with the sound of smacks, though the laughter did not cease.

“Marinette, child,” Alya began, and the noirette could practically see her pinching her nose, eyes closed in frustration.  “What in the world gave you the impression Adrien was gay?”

Marinette paused, momentarily questioning herself.

“Well, he’s better at fashion and makeup than I am, and he’s never gone on a date before without being forced into it.  He’s never shown interest in girls at all, from what I’ve seen.”

The redhead laughed lightly.

“And that led you to conclude he’s _gay_?  Isn’t that a little stereotypical of you?”

Marinette balked.

“Uh, I’ve been friends with Adrien for like, a third of my life.  I think if anyone knows him well, it’s me.”

Alya laughed a little louder, and she could hear Nino joining in in the background.

“Besides,” Marinette continued, unphased, “he’s going on a date with Luka.”

The laughter stopped.

“ _What_?”

“I said, he’s going on a date with Luka.  I set them up. I figured, maybe Adrien’s too shy to ask anyone out, or maybe he’s afraid to come out to his father, or, I don’t know, but I just want to see him happy, even if I’m not the one who makes him feel that way, and if this is the best I can do, then so be it.”

“Oh, honey.”

Her friend’s sympathetic tone echoed in Marinette’s ears, causing feelings of self-pity to well up within her, followed by frustration.  She could do this, damnit! She could be the friend and step aside to let him be happy!

“Marinette, I don’t think anyone could make him as happy as you do.  What in the world made you set him up with Luka?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, even though they couldn’t see each other.  “I just, he always got along really well with Luka, and it didn’t work out with us, and yes, I’m aware of the irony that the end of our relationship was because of Adrien, but, just- I don’t know, it seemed like they would make a good match.”

Alya chuckled deeply, her rich voice almost a balm to Marinette’s nerves.

“You realize that boy is irreversibly in love with you, right?”

“Alya, I mean, yea, he loves me, but only as a friend.”  The girl sighed, clearly not convinced. “I mean, he’s agreed to go out with _Luka_ , so I think we can safely say he’s interested in men.”

“ _What the hell was that boy thinking_?” Alya muttered to herself before speaking up.  “Look, girl, I know you have a lot going on in that crazy head of yours, but I promise, everything is going to work out.  Just… don’t do anything rash, ok?”

Marinette blew a raspberry.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.  You must be confused. I _never_ do anything rash.”

“Mmhmm,” was the reply, completely skeptical.  “I’m just going to leave you to clean this mess up on your own, but if you need any help seeing the error of your ways, call me.”

Marinette breathed out a laugh.

“Yea.  Ok, mom.”

“Hey.  That’s Mama Alya to you, child.”

One side of the girl’s mouth quirked upward in a half-smile.

“Yea, yea.  But I won’t need to call you because it’s all going to be fine.   _I’m_ going to be fine.”

“Ok,” her friend returned, “we’ll just have to see about that.  Bye~”

“Bye~”

And with that, Marinette hung up, shaking her head incredulously.  Adrien in love with her? Alya was severely confused.

* * *

The sound of a text message notification made Adrien way more flustered that it should have.

In the middle of his who-knows-what-number-I’ve-done-way-too-many-of-these-things-to-count-and-my-arms-are-on-fire-teenth pull up, he practically fell to the floor when he prematurely let go of the bar, then almost tripped over his own feet in his scramble to get to his phone where it was resting on a piece of gym equipment.

When he checked the lock screen, a smile broke out on his face, more messages coming in as he looked in a lovesick daze at Marinette’s contact lighting up his screen.  But his smile disappeared as the messages progressed.

 _Mari Me My Lady: Hey handsome_ 😍 _I have some good news about this weekend!_

_Mari Me My Lady: Luka’s looking forward to your date!_

_Mari Me My Lady: Leave all the planning to me_ 😊 _it’s going to be the best date ever!_

_Mari Me My Lady: I can help you get ready if you want!_

_Mari Me My Lady: Not that you can’t get yourself ready_

_Mari Me My Lady: I mean you are WAY more fashionable than me_

_Mari Me My Lady: Just like for moral support_

_Mari Me My Lady: Damn I’m spamming you_

_Mari Me My Lady: Let me call you in a bit_

_Mari Me My Lady: Love you_ 😚❤️

Adrien’s heart clenched in his chest, but his emotions were confused.  He had no idea what was going on, so he scrolled back through the messages, trying to piece the information together.

He was going on a date?  With Luka? That weekend?  When did that happen, and why?

And then he laughed at her rambling, the way her text messages even _sounded_ like her quick, sometimes thoughtless way of speaking where everything that came into her head promptly flew out of her mouth.

But that last message was what got him most of all.  She said it all the time, but it always made his heart skip a beat, both the best and worst thing she could ever tell him.  The best because he knew it was true, and the worst because it wasn’t true the way he wanted it to be, the way _he_ meant it when he said it.

He must have read over the messages a dozen times, and the more he did, the more he began to panic, coming back to the same thought over and over again: why would Marinette set him up on a date with Luka?  I mean, he thought Luka was cool and everything, probably the only one of Marinette’s ex-boyfriend’s who he actually liked and kind of begrudgingly wished he could be, if only because he wanted to be with Marinette.  But they had a platonic friendship at best. And, yea, sure, Luka was interested in guys, but Adrien wasn’t even-

Oh.

Oh shit.

* * *

For days Adrien stressed, frequently running his fingers through his hair as he couldn’t figure out what would make Marinette think he was gay.  Not that there was anything wrong with it, but if she thought he was only interested in other men, then that meant she would never consider him romantically.

For fuck’s sake, she was setting him up with a _man_ , and not just any man, her _ex_ , and the only one Adrien ever liked as a person.

Oh.

Well, he guessed that made sense.

Yet no matter how he obsessed about the situation, he couldn’t figure out a solution that didn’t involve him embarrassing and possibly ruining every single one of their relationships with each other.

If he called off the date, then Marinette would be disappointed and offended, and Luka might be hurt, and then Luka and Marinette’s friendship could be strained, and then Adrien’s friendship with Marinette would be strained, and he would never be able to look either of them in the eye again because _oh my God_ , _Marinette has been undressing in front of me because she thought I was gay_ _and she will never forgive me once she finds out I ogled her in her underwear as a completely straight man._

Which meant Adrien couldn’t say anything.

Which meant Adrien was going on the date with Luka.

Which meant he was going to end up _marrying_ Luka someday even though he was in love with _Marinette._

_Why is this my life?_

* * *

Adrien rejected Marinette’s offer to help him get ready and dressed on his own, mostly because he didn’t want her to see his frayed nerves, his guilty conscience, the sense of impending doom hanging over his head.  As far as she would know, the date would be amazing, and he would have found his long-awaited soulmate. They would laugh and toast, and he wouldn’t cry until he was in the safety of his own bedroom.

With unblinking eyes, the skittish blond watched the clock tick, waiting in a mixture of anticipation and dread for it to be an appropriate time to leave.  Finally, after an eternity of staring, it was time to go.

He walked solemnly to the car, unaware as buildings passed by on his journey to the restaurant where Luka would be waiting.  When the chauffeur arrived, he was startled out of his blank thoughts and disembarked from the vehicle, treading with heavy feet into the posh establishment.

It really was a beautiful venue, and Marinette had chosen well.  If it had been her waiting for him on this date, he would have been swooning.

When he approached the maître de, he could see Luka seated at a table near the window, electric blue-tipped hair somehow perfectly contrasted against his edgy suit.  The lines were clean and fitted, and still managed to suit his personality even though they were formally and atmospherically appropriate.

Pasting a polite smile on his face, Adrien trudged toward the table, catching the attention of Luka’s turquoise eyes.  The darker-complected man stood when he reached the table, giving the blond a surprisingly warm hug and laughing lightly.

“You look better than I thought you would,” was Luka’s mysterious greeting.

“Um, that’s- thank you?” Adrien replied awkwardly as they both took their seats, a waiter handing both of them the menu.  They both requested water. “You look well, too. That suit fits you well.”

Luka smirked.  “Thanks, man, but that’s not what I meant.”

Adrien only watched him, confused.

“I _mean_ , you look remarkably well-composed for someone who doesn’t want to be here.  If I didn’t know you, I wouldn’t even be able to tell.”

Adrien felt his face color.

“Uhm, wha- what do you mean?”

Was he really that obvious?  Ten years of modelling, and he still couldn’t control his expressions?

“Relax, Adrien, it’s ok.  I’m not offended. In fact, I only agreed to this date because Marinette asked.”

Adrien’s jaw dropped.  It seemed like _he_ was the one who was getting the pity date.

“Oh.  Well- I mean- I didn’t really realize what I agreed to?  Marinette asked me, and I just said yes because she looked like it would make her happy, but I didn’t know-”

“Hey, man, don’t even worry about it.  We’re kind of in the same boat, Mari-wise.  In fact-” and here he took on a much more serious tone, “-part of the reason I’m here, is to talk to you about Mari.”

The model was finding it even more difficult to school his expression.

“What, uh-”  He cleared his throat.  “What about?” Nervously, he averted his eyes from the knowing smirk that took over Luka’s features.

“Well, for starters, I was really surprised you went through with this set up, considering you’ve been in love with Marinette for as long as you’ve known her.”

Adrien started coughing, having accidentally choked on the water he was sipping in his anxiousness.  When the waiter came over to check on him, he waved him away with a request for more time.

“Whu- what are you talking about?”  There was no way his voice had ever sounded that high before.

Luka chuckled deeply.

“Adrien, it’s cool, man.  Just take a breath. I’m not here to duke it out with you.  The way I see it, you loved her first, and besides, the choice is ultimately Marinette’s, and I think it’s clear which one of us she would choose.”

Adrien stared at the man across from him, eyes wide in surprise and suspense as he waited for the definitive confirmation that he would never be the one Marinette chose.

“You?” he finally replied, though it came out more like a question.

“Oh, man, you really are oblivious.”  The blond man’s brow furrowed. “Ok, let me ask you this.  Why do you think Marinette set us up on this date?”

For a few moments, Adrien pondered that question.

“Because she wants us to be happy?”

“Yea, but why did she set you up with _me_ instead of someone you might feasibly be interested in, you know, like a _woman_?”

“...Because she thinks I’m gay?”

“Precisely.  Now, what might have given her that impression, as erroneous as it may be?”

“Um, I honestly have no idea.”

Luka looked on the verge of laughter.

“It’s because you’ve _never_ been on a date with a woman that you actually wanted to go on, and why is that?”

Adrien sat there, silent.

“Oh, Adrien, _I’ll_ tell you why, but you already know.  It’s because you’ve been in love with Marinette for seven years, and you’ve never wanted anyone else.  Now, did Marinette ever tell you why we broke up when we did?”

There was heat in Adrien’s cheeks as he wondered where the conversation could be going.

“She said you both wanted different things and it wasn’t going to work.  I could never understand it because it seemed like you two had a real connection.”

Luka’s expression took on a bittersweet wistfulness.

“Yea.  We did.  I’ve always loved her, and I always will.”

Adrien swallowed, unsure how to respond.

“Then, why didn’t you want her?”

He watched as the eyes of the man in front of him flashed momentarily with something he couldn’t identify.

“I did.  I do.  I always will.”

Luka paused, taking a breath.

“Marinette was my first... _everything._  I’m always going to love her.  I’m always going to want her. But she’s not mine to have, and she never was.”

“I don’t understand.”

“It’s _you_ , Adrien.  She’s always been in love with _you_ more.  Even when we were together, you always held her heart, not me.  Yea, maybe she loved me then, and maybe she still does now, but not as much as she loves you.  In a choice between you and me, Adrien, Marinette will always choose _you._  That’s why we broke up.  Because I couldn’t keep holding onto a heart that had already been given to someone else.”

Adrien watched in mute shock.  Luka had to be mistaken. There was no way-

“No.  That can’t be right.  She’s always been a little heartbroken over you.  She can’t-”

“Adrien.  She can. And she does.  I know. And quite honestly, the only real reason I’m here is because I can’t keep watching you two hurt each other like this.  You love her. She loves you. Both of you are too stupid and too blind to notice, so let me be the one to wake you up. You need to tell her.  Believe me when I say, if I didn’t really believe it was true, I wouldn’t hesitate to run to her and keep her for myself, but I can’t do that when I know she wants _you._ ”

The environment of the restaurant was quiet, but in Adrien’s mind, nothing existed, no light, no sound, nothing but the beat of his heart, the rush of blood in his head.  If what Luka was saying was true-

“I have to go.”  Adrien’s senses were suddenly and acutely aware of _everything._  He could hear the clink of silverware on the other side of the restaurant, a patron sneeze, the sizzling of food in the kitchen, the dull thud of shoes on the carpet, the brush of skin against fabric.

Luka broke out into a crooked grin.

“Go get her, man.”

And, standing from his seat, Adrien headed toward the door and walked out into the open air.

* * *

Paris in the Spring was unpredictable.  Days could alternate between unseasonably warm, and unseasonably cold in the blink of an eye.  As Adrien walked briskly down the street, not having the patience to call and wait for his chauffeur, he began to wish he had brought a warmer jacket with him.

Marinette’s home was not too far away, and with the anxious energy flowing through him, he figured it would be a good idea to expend some of it before he saw her and exploded from nervousness.

Chill wind blew, nipping at his ears and fingers, but he paid it little mind.  He was sure by the time he arrived, his extremities would be red and slightly numb.

The possibility that Marinette loved him went round and round in circles in his mind.  Before today, he would never have entertained the thought except as some hopeless fantasy he usually saved for when he was home alone and feeling needy.  But the things that Luka said- of all the people, _he_ would know, wouldn’t he?  He had no reason to make it up, or to lie, or even to go on the date with Adrien and then tank the whole thing unless he was being genuine.

He had seen Luka.  He knew the man loved Marinette, and that always made him a bit envious, to be able to love her so openly.  It was all he ever wanted.

And if what Luka said was true, then it meant that the reason their relationship didn’t work was because of _him._  Adrien _had_ to know.

As the bakery came into view, he saw a figure emerge from the side door, wearing a coat fit for the weather and carrying a black umbrella, which was probably a good idea, because the sky had been grey the majority of the day and was only getting worse.  Adrien walked closer, but Marinette was going in the other direction, crossing the street and entering the park. The wind increased in force, prompting Adrien to hurry and try to catch up with her.

But once he passed through the park gates, he couldn’t see her anywhere.  Absolutely determined to find her, his eyes darted around the entire park, his feet taking step after purposeful step in his search for the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about.

Just when he began to wonder if she had exited out the other side, he heard a sniff behind a nearby tree.

It was an adorable sniff, and one he knew well.  He had often comforted the owner of that sniff when things just wouldn’t go right, on days when it seemed her luck was the worst.

Slowly so as not to startle her, Adrien peered around the tree and saw the silhouette of a short, dark-haired woman standing on the other side, facing the opposite direction.  In her hands was the black umbrella, which she was fiddling with anxiously. The figure sniffed again, then reached up and wiped a tear from her eye.

“Something the matter, mademoiselle?” Adrien asked, unable to conceal his presence any longer.  With a start, the woman whirled around, bringing her endless bluebell eyes into Adrien’s line of sight.  His heart soared, then sunk as he noticed the signs of tears on her face.

“Adrien!” Marinette exclaimed.  “What are you doing here?”

The blond man stalked slowly closer until he was close enough to raise a finger to one of her suspiciously wet eyes, wiping away a tear that was just beginning to fall.

“I was coming to find you.  What are you doing here? And why are you crying, my love?”

The noirette’s eyes darted about, and when she spoke, she distinctly avoided his questions.

“Aren’t you supposed to be out with Luka?”

Adrien paused, trying to decide how to respond.

“I was.  We had a good talk.  Now I want to be with you.”

Marinette gave a little gasp, almost inaudible, but Adrien caught it anyway.  In his chest, his heart dared to hope.

“I think I should tell you, though, that I don’t think it’s going to work out.”

His best friend’s eyes widened.

“It’s not?  I’m sorry to hear that.  I really thought you would hit it off.”

He couldn’t help it.  Adrien’s mouth quirked into a half-smirk.

“And just what gave you that impression, princess?”

She looked put on the spot, and unsure, her eyes refusing to meet Adrien’s gaze.

“I... don’t know.  I guess I just figured you two always got along really well.”

“That’s true,” the man replied, “but I guess you could say he’s not really my type.”

“He’s not?”

“No.”  He walked a little closer until there was almost no space between them.  “I prefer people with gorgeous blue-black hair.” His hand came up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.  “And stunning sky-blue eyes.” The back of his fingers slid down her cheek in a caress. “Pouty pink lips.” His thumb brushed lightly across her bottom lip.  “And _preferably_ …” Then he stopped, Marinette’s eyes raising to meet his own.  “ _Her_ name is Marinette.”

The breath she drew in was severe, and for a moment, Adrien wondered if he made a mistake, but resolved to push through.

“And what about Marinette?  What does she want?”

The woman’s lower lip trembled as fresh tears brimmed, spilling down her cheeks.

“She just wants you to be happy,” she answered in a trembling voice.

Leaning down, Adrien stared into her endless eyes.

“That’s good, then, because the thing that would make me happiest... is you.”

Expression surprised and mouth agape, she seemed to be frozen in place.

“But- but I don’t understand.  I thought you weren’t interested in me- in any girls for that matter.”

“Well, you’re right about one thing,” Adrien replied.  “I’m not interested in girls…” Her breath caught. “...if they’re not you.”

“ _Adrien-_ ”

But before she could say more, his closed the rest of the distance between them, pressing a firm but soft kiss to her lips.  Just then, the rain started, and Adrien pulled back, ready to take off his jacket to shield both of them when a swath of black material took over his vision.  Somewhat awed, he ducked underneath the umbrella Marinette was holding up for them both and pulled her close, transported back to another time and place with the same girl and the same umbrella.  As he watched, her cheeks began to take on the color of roses, and he smiled fondly.

“So what do you say, my lady?  Do you think you could ever love a poor stray like me?”

Marinette burst out with a short, breathy laugh, smile taking over her features.

“Mon chaton, all you ever had to do was ask.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it ^_^
> 
> Thoughts? Leave me a comment! :D


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